Indian badminton players have got mixed draws for the individual competitions at the Asian Games, with the schedule announced on Thursday. While Lakshya Sen and PV Sindhu face tough possible opponents in the later rounds, defending champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have a relatively easier path to the semi-finals.The individual competitions will begin on Friday.India have already secured a medal in badminton at the Asian Games, with the men’s team winning bronze.
Tough draw for Lakshya Sen
Lakshya has received a bye in the opening round of the men’s singles competition. However, his second-round opponent is likely to be former world champion Loh Kean Yew, who has also received a bye.If Sen gets past Loh, the world No. 14 could face world No. 1 Jonatan Christie of Indonesia in the quarter-finals.Ayush Shetty has also received a first-round bye. His first major challenge could come in Round 3, where he is likely to face Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei.
Sindhu could face Tokyo Olympics champion
Sindhu has also received a first-round bye in women’s singles. The Indian star is expected to progress to the quarter-finals, where she could face Tokyo Olympics champion Chen Yufei.Young Indian player Unnati Hooda will begin her campaign against North Korea’s Yu Mi Song. If she progresses, she could face world No. 6 Putri Kusuma Wardani of Indonesia in Round 3.
Easy draw for Satwik-Chirag
The men’s doubles draw could be the one to watch for India. Defending champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will begin against Thailand’s Peeratchai Sukpun and Pakkapon Teeraratsakul.The Indian pair have a relatively easy route to the semi-finals, where they could face South Korea’s top seeds Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae.However, Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun have a difficult opening match. They will take on second seeds Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri.
Tough challenge for Treesa-Gayatri
In women’s doubles, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand will start against Hong Kong’s Lok Lok Lui and Hiu Yan Tsang. If they win, they will face Japanese world No. 3 pair Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto in Round 2.Treesa and Gayatri had beaten Yuki and Mayu in the team quarter-finals earlier this week.Kavipriya Selvam and Simran Singhi will open against Indonesia’s Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma and Meilyysa Trias Puspitasari.A win could set up a second-round meeting with South Korea’s second seeds Hana Baek and Sohee Lee.
Dhruv-Tanisha begin against Maldives pair
In mixed doubles, Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto will face Maldives’ Nibal Ahmed and Abdul Razzaq Aminath Nabeeha in the first round.At Hangzhou 2023, Indian shuttlers won three medals, including the country’s first badminton gold.Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty won gold in men’s doubles, while the men’s team took silver and HS Prannoy won bronze in men’s singles.